What Makes Someone Seek Pain for Pleasure?

In “Hurts So Good,” Leigh Cowart explores the science and culture of masochism, from the competitive pepper-eater to the ultramarathoner to sex of a certain variety.

Road ‘Warriors’: The Marathon That Looks a Lot Like a Gang War

A quasi-legal 28-mile road race through the streets of New York City in the middle of the night where everyone dresses as a gang member from a 1979 B-movie.

‘You Can Be Defeated’: An Ultramarathoner Deals With Failure

Scott Jurek set out to reclaim the supported speed record for the roughly 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. He had his own reality check.

Fred Zalokar, Marathoner Who Took On Mountains, Is Found Dead in Yosemite

The body of the 61-year-old, who had been missing since Saturday, was recovered on Tuesday near the summit of Mount Clark, the National Park Service said.

China Accuses 32 in Ultramarathon Disaster, but Main Suspect Is Dead

Organizers of the May race, which claimed 21 lives, face criminal charges and disciplinary action. The man said to bear primary responsibility died in a fall from a high-rise this week.

China Suspends Ultramarathons After Deaths of 21 Runners

Some relatives of the runners who died in an recent race are quietly asking whether their loved ones could have been saved.

‘I Am So Freaked Out. I Can’t Even Get My Mind Around It.’

After 21 runners died during an ultramarathon, will the endurance sport look inward and explore whether it has become too extreme?

‘I Owe Him My Life’: Chinese Runner Describes Mountain Rescue

After 21 runners died when high winds and freezing rain struck an ultramarathon race, one competitor said he survived only because a shepherd carried his unconscious body to shelter.

21 Runners Dead After Extreme Weather Hits Chinese Ultramarathon

The 62-mile mountain race in Gansu Province left athletes in shorts and T-shirts facing freezing rain, hail and high winds.